Leaked: Dark Obiwan character art for Battlefront III

Earlier today we reported on leaked footage for Battlefront 3, offering readers a glance at what Free Radical had in development before closing it's doors. Further investigation of the footage has revealed what appears to be a surprising plot twist in the game, with Kotaku reporting a Sith, perhaps even a hoodless Palpatine, telling "Kenobi" to "stick to the plan" about four minutes and 55 seconds into the video.

What does it mean? Well, according to leaked concept art that hit our mailboxes this morning, it appears Free Radical had plans for a dark twist on Obiwan Kenobi. An old man, gnarled by the corruption of the dark side, and living in the swamps of Dagobah.

Click for larger versions:

Also, according to the same tipster, the technology that allows players to fly from ground to orbit will be staying with Free Radical as the game has now moved to new developers.

"It's my understanding that the game's been passed to a new developer, but the tech that allowed you to fly from the ground, to air, to orbit, to space dies with Free Radical's involvement," he said. "The new developer will be making it a cutscene every time you want to transition from ground to space."

Apparently the tech would have allowed players complete freedom in the battlefield.

Interesting ideas, and really a shame that Free Radical had to shut down. Hopefully the new developer will bring some of the same ideas to the storyline and gameplay mechanics. Stay tuned for more information.